


The Matchmaking Robotic Limbs Project

by aortawritings (orphan_account)



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Awkward Crush, Crushes, Doctors, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Getting Together, Grey's Anatomy - Freeform, Inspired by Grey's Anatomy, Love, Passion, Sharing a Bed, work relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2019-06-30 22:27:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15760977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/aortawritings
Summary: After spending a lot of time together and after an insightful comment from Alex, Callie begins to notice a bit of closeness between her and Owen, and that realization made her life deliciously miserable.Or... the process of Callie realizing Owen and her are actually a couple.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I really ship this pair. Hope you enjoy.

The project of robotic limbs for disabled veterans brought them closer, made their relationship tighter, more solid, intimate if you may. 

He confide in her. “I need something to be good” he said. She cried on his shoulder because she also needed good in her life, needed something to work well. They understood each other in that way. 

It made sense. They worked together, became close friends, they relay on each other and it mas good. Normal.

What wasn’t normal was the fact that somehow, someway, that closeness had developed into something more. Callie didn’t see it coming nor she should’ve had to see it coming. I mean, she worked with Shepard on the sensors project and they got closer and tighter too and nothing happened there so why did it happened here?

She didn’t even realized something was different until Alex oh so brilliantly pointed it out. 

They were talking, Owen and her while waiting for the elevator, he was sipping coffee which had to had cinnamon in it because she could smell it on him. Now that should’ve been a red flag because if she could smell the cinnamon on his breath it means they were standing pretty close right? She was telling him about something adorable Sofia had done that morning and he was attentive with a fond look on his face. She remembers she didn’t get to finish the story because the elevator arrived and he was wanted for a consult so he had to leave.

That’s when Alex barged in on her asking her about how long had they’ve been goin on. Now that part she remembers perfectly.

“So, since when are you two together?” Alex asked.

Callie had just received the scans of a 25 year old female who had a car accident, nothing major, a few broken bones nothing several cast and bandages couldn’t fix. She gave instructions to the nurse and then looked up at Alex with a confused look in her face. “Who?”. She asked.

“You and Hunt.” He said putting his hands in his pockets.

“Me and Hunt?” She asked burrowing her eyebrows. “There is no me and Hunt. What are you talking about?”.

“Well you’ve been spending a lot of time together, I barely see you outside of work or at my house anymore and its because you’re always with him. Working” he said making air quotes at that last word.

“Thats me being dedicated,, staying late working and perfecting my work, our work. You know that.” She said starting to walk towards the E.R.

“And what about that just now by the elevator?” He asked with a tone of indifference in his voice.

“What?” “Us having a conversation like friends, colleagues do? come on Alex you’re imagining things” she said with mockery.

“Well, it sure didn’t looked like that, you had those googly eyes of yours and you were standing really close to him and what about this?” He asked grabbing her right wrist and showing the army bracelet on her hand.

“That is a thank you gift, from one of the veterans on our project, Owen has one too. Mine was a bit tight on me to use it as a necklace so Owen turned it into a bracelet, so I could wear it” she said with a slight smile on her face.

He stood there watching her with a knowing look on his face waiting for her to react.

“What? oh Alex so now friends can't give each other presents anymore?” She said with irritation.

“Look, either you don’t know or you’re pretending not to know because all the signs are there and it would take an idiot not to realize something is happening between you two. Plus he looks at you like you hung the moon or whatever” He said tiredly.

“Thats just because I was telling him a story about this adorable thing Sofia did this morning.” Said Callie.

“I’m not talking about today, I’m talking about every time he sees you, even if you’re not talking to each other, he still looks at you like he adores you or something. And you look at him the same way.”

Now that had caught Callie’s attention. She faced Alex steps before entering the E.R and looked at him confounded.

Noticing this Alex sighed and said, “I’m not trying to be a jerk and mess with you but you’re my friend and if I see you doing something strange I need to know you’re aware of what you’re doing.” After a short pause he resumed talking. “This thing with Hunt, it doesn’t seem to be just two doctors working together because Callie, with Shepard, it didn’t look like this. At all. So figure out whats going on and do something because in case you’ve forgotten, he’s Christina’s ex husband.”

After that he left, leaving Callie muddled and stuck to the floor.

That had Callie sitting on an on-call room thinking about that conversation and trying to put all the pieces together as of when she and Owen had started looking differently. They’ve been on the veterans project for four months now, at what point did the lines got all blurry and inexistent for them? Does everybody think the same way as Alex? She knew she didn’t. Wait. Did Owen? Theres no way. Owen couldn’t possibly know.

She didn’t know, but maybe he did ? No. “That’s ridiculous” she thought. 

Maybe it was all in Alex’s head and there’s nothing going on. “Yeah.” She said. “That’s probably it.” And confident enough in her reasoning she left the on-call room and forgot about it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Owen and Callie talk.

It wasn’t until two weeks later when April approached her with the same question Alex had asked about her and Owen. This time it was in the attending’s lounge.

“Are you and Owen just fooling around or is it serious?” April asked out of the blue.

“What?!” Said Callie surprised.

“You and Hunt” continued April. “Is it just friends with benefits or is it a together together kind of thing?”.

As soon as those words left Kepner’s mouth Callie flew from the room with a worried/horrified look on her face leaving a very confused and unanswered April behind.

Callie needed to find Owen. They had to talk.

She found him nodding off in one of the on-call rooms. Callie walked in with a look of fear on her face.

“Hey” she said lowly and hesitant.

“Hey yourself” he answered sitting up on the bed.

“We need to talk” said Callie pacing back and forth on the room.

“Okay” said Owen rubbing the sleep of his eyes.

“Are we together? You know like involve ?” She blurred it out.

“I..not that im aware of, no” he said thrown off guard by her question.

“Right, that’s what I thought and it’s what I said to Alex when he asked if we were together but then Kepner also asked the same question just now so, are we ?” said Callie looking straight at him.

Owen looked dazed for a few seconds after Callie’s answer. He didn’t know what to say.

Triggered by his silence Callie continued saying “ I don’t know if it’s something we’re doing or of it’s made up on false pretense but people think we’re together, or at least doing it. So.. I just wanted to make sure you if you knew.”

“Well, I know it’s not true, it’s not real, we’re not, its not like that. Do you think it would be better if we spend some time apart so that dissipates on its own?” he asked.

That had Callie’s heart quickening with fear. “No.” She said alarmed. They couldn’t, they were friends, colleagues, and that idea of them together was not true so why acted as if it were? Plus they had their veteran project still going. They had to spend time together, it was part of their job now. 

“No.” She said more calmed. “No, we should just ignore it, I mean, since we know it’s not true we can just forget about to and if people ask again we set the record straight. What do you think?”

“Sounds good” Owen said with a hint of uncertainty. 

“What is it?” Asked Callie after noticing his tone. “You don’t agree?” She asked trying to hide the sadness from her voice.

“No, of course I do. It’s just, where did people got the idea of us, together?” He asked with amusement. “Have we been giving out signals or something that made them think we were, together?”

“You know, I’ve been asking that myself since Alex came up to me. I don’t know, Alex said it’s because we’ve been spending a lot of time together but that can’t be it, we’re doctors, we worked together, we have a project and we’re friends so the idea of all of that being more then friendship is just ridiculous.” Said Callie.

“Exactly. So we just forget about it? Let them think what they want?” He said.

“Yeah, let’s do that and not let it interfere with our friendship.” Said Callie relieved.

“Alright”. Owen said calmly. 

After a few seconds of silence he spoke again “Callie” he called her attention stepping closer to her and holding her hands, making her breathing falter. 

“I want you to know that I wouldn’t let anything come between our friendship, it’s one of the most precious things I have In my life right now. I can’t, I won’t let it slip way. I promise you that.” He said softly while looking softly into her eyes.

Up until that moment Callie was keeping it together but that statement made her lose the ability to form up words and turned her into a nervous puddle in-front of him. After what felt like way to long she finally breathed out and said “Yeah, yes. I feel the same way”.

“Great.” He said still looking at her with what seemed like adoration. 

“Well I’m gonna let you go back to sleep now.” Said Callie breaking eye contact and hurrying out of the room.

She heard a fainted “Bye” before closing the door.

“Crap” she said on the verge of cardiac arrest. She was in big trouble.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callie suddenly understands the source of the rumors about them and does absolutely nothing to stop them.

Now that Callie knows what people think about her and Owen, it’s gotten very difficult not to notice the sneaky looks people give them when they are together. The murmurs and hushed voices whenever they walked around. To make it even worse, she actually understands why people think they are together, it became very clear to her. They would just do certain things that could be considered non friendship wise, more like, relationship wise.  
For example: Owen would keep the door open for her whenever they entered a room, he would pull her chair, carry her food, her coffee, her scans, iPad, literally everything that ever reached her hands. Now that would look like Owen was just being a gentleman, nothing more. If it were just that then it wouldn’t be a problem would it ? but you guess it, It wasn’t just that.

What Callie hadn’t realized was that they were..very, very, touchy. Whether it was a simple handshake here and then or few hugs on occasion, somehow they would always be some sort of form of touch. An “innocent” caressed of fingers between exchanges of items (her coffee, her scans, her iPad), a brushed of shoulders when moving in between consults or in the E.R, the back to chest interactions when in the elevator, (her back, his chest) whether it was because of crowding or because she had been tired and he had been oh so comfortable and had smell oh so good it was impossible no to rest in. You can blame her for that, especially since it happens more then it should.

So yeah, she gets it now. 

What’s a little harder to get is how even though she knows what things are feeding the already said rumor, she doesn’t do a thing to stop it. 

They also hang out, frequently and just the two of them. At Joe’s or in his trailer, they would drink, eat and talk, enjoy each others company. Sometimes Callie would get drunk so he wouldn’t let her drive back home and she would pass out on his bed and she’ll be woken up to breakfast in bed, a hot shower and then a ride to the hospital where he would magically appear a cup of coffee for her to treat her hangover. Like he was taking care of her, almost as if they were dating. That thought alone frightened Callie.

Because as much as they looked like a couple, yes a couple, it also felt like they were a couple, at least to Callie, but then again she knew where Alex and Kepner and who knows who else were coming from. Did Owen? She didn’t know and maybe she didn’t want to know. Because if it was true, if he too knew the reason of the rumors and understood them, then either he was acting oblivious and just going with it or he actually acknowledged it and accepted it which was very much unsettling on it’s own. 

She never thought of Owen like that, like her couple, her man, her partner, as hers. They were awesome friends, friends that understood each other and were there for each other in times of need. Being with Owen was easy and effortless, made her feel calm and relax, sweet. Going from that to this whole new thing was a lot to process. 

Part of her noticing the glances and murmurs led to her also noticing their behavior towards each other and it was rather mind blowing. How did she not notice before? It’s like this thing she read on an article couple years ago, how when two people spend a lot of time together they tend to act like the other and gravitate towards the other. The gravitation part was real, very real. It didn’t matter if it were a meeting, consult, rounds, in the attendings lounge, a conference, you name it. They would always, always find their way to each other, even if they were sitting apart somehow they would always end up together. Pressed against one another, breathing the same air, sharing everything.

So they looked like a couple and as reality hit Callie, it also felt like they were a couple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter I know but it gets better.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleeping together without actually sleeping together was a thing for them.

Callie had a bad day at work.

She lost a very dear patient of her and that had left her exhausted and a crying mess so she drove herself to his trailer looking for comfort, of course he had been nothing but welcoming and lovely, offering a beer and his bed so she could rest. 

“Could you…?” Asked Callie laying on his bed trying not to swoon over the smell of the sheets, his smell. 

“What?” Asked Owen.

“Tell me, what is it?” He asked concerned. 

“It’s stupid…” she waited for him to replay but he was waiting for her to continue, so she did. “Could you.. I mean if it’s okay with you. I just need…Would you please come lay with me?” She finally vocalized. 

He seemed taken aback with her request. 

He proceded to walk around the trailer as if looking for something with Callie’s eyes glued to the back of his head. Finally, he retrieved a pillow next to the window and walked to the bed to do as he was asked.

She made room for him as she felt the bed dip with his weight before feeling him plastered on her back, the oh so familiar feeling of his chest in her back making its presence. Callie was at a moment of weakness and he felt so good and comforting around her she didn’t even care if this was crossing the line or whatever, as if they’ve haven’t crossed it before. 

With Owen’s fingers in her hair Callie fell asleep. 

It appears to be that since that night they became sleeping buddies, as in friends who sleep together, in the same bed, cuddling. With no sex. 

Now Callie wasn’t complaining, waking up in a room full of Owen was heaven, in the literal sense. He was warm and comfortable, a great cuddlier and his smell was addictive. He always had food and he knew just what to say to make her laugh in the morning. It was perfect. 

What wasn’t perfect was the fact that one particular morning they had an incident. 

 

She woke up first and found herself glued to him, every limb of hers was touching him, that led her to find out that Owen was well packed. Yes, packed. 

You know how cuddling goes: booty to crotch, back to chest and nose to hair. That first part was ever so vividly. 

He was hard pressed up against her. Callie could feel him, feel it. To top it all off not only was she not repulse by it or at least uncomfortable but she was turned on herself. You can see how the anxiety started.

She felt him move, he was settling in the bed without changing their position, now and arm was thrown on her waist pulling close if that was even more possible. His nose was on her neck breathing her in and Callie was close to losing it. She wanted to turn over and get on top him to do inadequate things with him, to him. There was more movement but now she felt it on her butt. 

“Is he grinding on me?” Callie thought. “Not possible”, she tried to move and get off his hold but that resulted in him pulling her closer to his chest.

“Callie…” She heard. He was calling for her in his sleep. Voice deep and raspy, almost moaning her name. 

Callie has been with her share of men and woman, she has experience things, but this? Right now? It couldn’t be compare to anything she’s ever felt before. having him so close to her provoked things, her body was a shuddering mess, she couldn’t breath or speak. Shivers of electricity were going up and down her arms, her legs, her abdomen. It was rooms of never ending pleasure. Having him move behind her, feeling him through her clothes was very intense. It became too much. So she started to freak out. 

She couldn’t do this, it was Owen they were talking about, her friend, her colleague she couldn’t do this to him. No, she had to go. Now. 

Reluctantly and very carefully she removed herself from his arms trembling with affliction. 

After gathering her things, she left.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Owen and Callie finally clear things up.

Callie was avoiding Owen, of course she was. 

After that morning she hasn’t spoken to him ever since because every time he looks at her, every time they’re in the same room together all she remembers is that morning, the feeling of that morning. She gets flushed and sweaty, her heartbeat goes to the roof and she can’t speak. So, yeah, Callie was avoiding Owen. 

And it hurts because she misses him and she can see the pain in his eyes when their eyes meet across the room and she avoids it, avoids him. He doesn’t have an explanation, he doesn’t know anything. Its not like Callie could explain it either she couldn’t march up to him and say: “ Hey! Remember that morning when you woke up and I wasn’t there? Yeah, so you had a boner and you were spooning me so we were basically grinding on each other and I was so turned on I couldn’t see straight so I left because the thought of us together scares the crap out of me.”

No. She couldn’t do that. 

After a long day of avoiding him and hiding out in the O.R she decided to rest and made her way towards the on call room, when entering she found the oh so pleasant surprised of Owen there.

“Crap” she thought. “This is it”

He looked tired, overworked. She wanted to put him to bed until he looked better, preferably with her by his side.

“Hey” he said surprised of seeing her there.

“Hey yourself.” Said Callie removing her cap.

It was silent after that, tension palpable in the room.

“Callie…” He whispered. “Are you okay? I haven’t seen you in a couple days, is something wrong?”

“Yes” she thought.  
“No” she said with a fake smile. “Everything’s fine.”

“If everything’s fine then how come we haven’t spoken in days? How come I try to talk to you and you run every time you see me? How come I woke up and you weren’t there?”. His words were filled with pain. She was going to be sick. 

“Look, nothings wrong. We’re fine, you’re imagining things” she lied.

“Look me in the eyes and say that again Callie” Owen demanded.

She couldn’t. She would break down if she saw those blue eyes meet hers.

“Was it, was it something I did? Did I hurt you or did I said something to anger you? Because I’m trying to understand here Callie. I’m trying.” Said Owen with anger. 

“No, no. You didn’t do anything.” She said while walking to the door trying to leave.

He grabbed her wrist before she could leave pulling her close. 

“Look at me.” He whispered softly. “Callie…look at me.” He repeated.

She was going to burst into tears if he kept saying her name like that. 

Gosh she was such a baby for missing him so badly she could cry.

He lifted her chin with two of his fingers and finally, their eyes met. A shill ran down her back. She had to tell him, it was too much, she needed to tell him.

“That morning…when I left it wasn’t because I wanted to. I left because while you were sleeping you started moving and you were b-behind me and..” Damn it, she was stuttering. 

“Did I.. did I touched you in any way without your concern ? Is that it?” He asked horrified.

“Callie I am so so..”

She didn’t left him finish. “NO! NO! It was nothing like that. Yes we touched and stuff but it wasn’t.. I know you had no intention of doing it without my consent okay? I know that. It just freaked me out a little, not because it was scary or it made me fear for my life or anything but because…” 

“What?” Asked Owen. “Tell me”

With a loud exhale she finally said. “It freaked me out because while you were doing it….I got turned on. I-I liked it.. and I’m pretty sure if I hadn’t gone out when I did I was going to be the one doing things to you without consent.”

Now if a hole could magically appear on the floor and swallow Callie that would be very much appreciated. 

In the mean time, Owen was silent. Dead silent. She didn’t dare to look up at him. 

After what felt like hours he spoke. 

“So…what you’re saying is you liked it? Are you attracted to me ? Is that it? ” He asked with a stern face.

“I don’t know.. maybe? It’s all very confusing to me” she said covering her eyes with her right hand.

“Cause we’re friends right?” She started to ramble while pacing. “and this wasn’t suppose to happened. You don’t expect this to happened. We’ve known each other for years now, you’ve been married, I’ve been married, lots of things has happened so It makes no sense for this, us to happen” she said gesturing between the two of them.

During all that Owen remained silently looking at her.

“Look… I’m sorry if I somehow dragged you into this mess. You have to know it wasn’t planned or anything like that…I don’t know if this will ruin our friendship, God knows that’s not what I want” she said close to whispering.

“Maybe if we don’t see each other for a little while I can maybe clear my head and sort this thing out” said Callie with sadness in her voice.

Owen seemed to react at that and shook his head.

“No, that wouldn’t solve anything” he said.

“Then what do I do?” She asked tiredly.

“Maybe this will help” Owen said before walking up to her and smashing their lips together.

Okay. Callie definitely didn’t see that coming.

He kissed her with so much passion and strength that it made her dizzy. His lips were all over hers, sucking, nibbling, biting into them with so much intensity Callie was 100% sure she would faint if his hands weren’t holding her. 

Her hands were wrapped around his neck bringing him closer, deepening the kiss. That made Owen release a moan on the back of his throat before moving his hands to Callie’s waist, just above her butt. Pressing her entirely with his body.

When coming up for air became an absolute necessity they detached their mouths from one another, pressing their foreheads together. 

After calming their breaths Owen spoke.

“So.. did that cleared things up for you?” He asked smirking at her.

Callie chuckled still feeling dizzy from the previous event. 

“Yeah” she laughed. “That sure made things a whole lot clearer” she said licking her lips seductively.

“But I may need more reassurement just to be absolutely sure” she said with a flirty voice.

“I can do that” whispered Owen before joining their mouths again, this time walking her while still kissing to one of the beds and the preceding to lay on top of her.

If anyone were to ask Callie again if they were together or not she would proceed to set the record straight and tell them they absolutely were, in fact, together. 

She will deal with Alex and everyone else some other time. 

 

THE END.


End file.
